Method for securing together moccasin vamps and plugs



J. D. BOZZA Dec. 18, 1956 METHOD FOR SECURING TOGETHER MOCCASIN (AMPS AND PLUGS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 12, 1953 INVENTOR.

JOSEPH D. B02 2A ATTOENEX J. D. BOZZA Dec. 18, 1956 METHOD FOR SECURING TOGETHER MOCCASIN VAMPS AND PLUGS Filed Nov. 12, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mmvrox gOSEPHD. 5022A Arm/wax United States Patent lVIETHOD FOR SECURING TOGETHER MOCCASIN VAMPS AND PLUGS Joseph D. Bozza, Jersey City, N. J., assignor to Jo-An Shoe Mfg. Co., Inc., Fair Lawn, N. J.

Application November 12, 1953, Serial No. 391,458

2 Claims. (Cl. 12-142 The present invention relates generally to methods of manufacturing moccasin footwear, and is particularly directed to moccasin footwear having an improved vamp construction resulting from novel methods of manufacture.

Specifically, the invention relates to the manufacture of a true one-piece genuine moccasin by novel means that not only completely eliminate the onerous handwork until now inherent, but, do so at greatly reduced costs while yet enhancing the overall appearance of the shoe.

A true moccasin, in which the sole and vamp portions are included in a single continuous piece of material brought together with an instep part or plug, has forever presented the problem of reducing the much greater outer line of the vamp piece down to coincide with the smaller line of the plug, so that the two can then be secured, thus forming the complete shoe.

Heretofore, this transformation was accomplished either by hand lacing, wherein the outer edge of the vamp was gathered, stitch by stitch, to the plug, or by means of various ways shown in the patented art, such as cementing the parts together to hold until sewing; molding with heat and pressure devices of the vamp piece to force its perimeter to coincide with the line of the smaller plug; and in a more recent patent, fastening the plug and vamp together by hand lacing as always but then stitching by machine underneath so that the original lacing margin could finally be trimmed off the top.

Other methods which have been employed to simulate the moccasin effect are legion. One in particular takes notches out of the front line of the vamp, then sews together the open Vs thusly drawing up the vamp to meet with the plug line. Another completely cuts out that part of the vamp piece which normally would become the sole in a genuine moccasin, and stitches in the plug first, since now the two lines will coincide, after which the sole is either sewed or cemented in place. These, of course, are only imitations.

The present invention, however, brings a true one-piece vamp and sole member up into exact juxtaposition with the plug line in one simple machine sewing operation. The two parts are then fastened together with an overlapping type of machine stitch, which most neatly effects that done by hand. When this shoe is completed it presents a much dressier, more uniform type of moccasin than ever possible by hand, and does so with great economies.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations and arrangements of elements and method steps, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope will be indicated by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view showing a true one-piece moccasin constructed in accordance with the presentinvention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing a one-piece sole and vamp blank before assembly in the moccasin of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing a plug blank before assembly in the moccasin of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a plan View showing the one-piece sole and vamp blank in Fig. 2 in an intermediate stage of manufacture.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective view showing a detail of the construction of the moccasin of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a front elevational view, partly broken away and partly in dot-and-dash outline, showing a sewing machine adapted for use in the practice of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view of the sewing machine of Fig. 6 showing the manner of operating the latter in the practice of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary front elevational View of the elements shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary, greatly enlarged view showing in detail a feature of construction of the present invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the embodiment of the invention illustrated therein comprises a moccasin, generally designated 20, including a sole, a vamp or upper 21, a plug 22 secured in the forepart of the vamp, and a collar 23 extending along the edge of the vamp rearwardly of the plug 22 and enclosing the lace 24.

The vamp 21 is formed from the blank 36 which has a curved front portion 31 and a scalloped rear portion 32. The margin of the front portion 31 is adapted to be drawn up from the sole portion to form the moccasin vamp or upper 21, the rear portion 32 being laced or otherwise secured together to form the moccasin back. The forepart plug 22 is then arranged with its diverging edges 33 and 34 and front curved edge 35 secured to the drawn up front edges 36 and 37 of the vamp and sole blank 30, as by the stitching 38.

More particularly, the curved front edges 36 and 37 of the blank 30 are provided with a plurality of relatively minute, contiguous substantially uniform gathers or crimps 39, and a cord or tape 4-0 is secured along the gathered edges 36 and 37 by stitching 41, to permanently retain the curved front edges of the blank 39 in their gathered condition and the front margins of the blank drawn up.

The cord or tape 40 must be non-elastic, or inextensible, providing a maximum of restraining force.

In Figs. 6, 7 and 3 are illustrated the preferred manner of manufacturing the above described moccasin. A sewing machine, generally designated 45, includes a drive shaft 46 which is operatively connected to the sewing needle 47, and which is also operatively connected to the serrated or toothed feed roll or wheel 48 for driving the latter through the gear train, generally designated 49. The sewing machine 45 further comprises an operating table or working plate 50 having a through aperture 51 for receiving the upper portion of the feed wheel 48, and a work guide 52 adjustably mounted on the working plate 50. A presserfoot 53 is disposed above the aperture 51 and feed wheel 48, and is adjustably mounted in the sewing machine arm 54. A thread loop is provided on the sewing machine arm 54, as at 55, and a suitable cord tensioning device 56 is also mounted on the sewing machine arm.

In practicing the present invention, the leather or other material being operated on, the blank 3b in thi case, is arranged on the work table 50 with its edge 36 abutting the guide 52 so that the edge portion is disposed over the feed wheel 48 and beneath the presserfoot 53. in the conventional manner, a thread 58 extends through the loop 55 and through the needle 47, the latter being vertically reciprocable through the presserfoot S3. A cord or tape 49 extends through the tensioning device 56 and under the presserfoot 53, which holds the cord in frictional engagement with the upper surface of the leather 30; Thus the cord 40 extends between the presserfoot 53 and the leather 30 and through the path of the needle 47.

' In operation, the nee le 47 rcciprocates verticallyand the feed wheel rotates in a counter-clockwise direction, as

the upper surface of the leather 39 in frictional engagement with the latter, so that the cord would normallybe moved along with the leather. However, the cord is held back or restrained, preferably resiliently, by the tensioning device 56; and, by its frictional engagement with the leather 30, the cord retards or decreases the speed of movement of the latterto a value less than that of the feed roll teeth. As the feed roll 43 is positively driven, and as the teeth positively and-frictionally engagewith the leather 30, it will be apparent that the feed wheel teeth will serve to crimp or gather the more slowly moving leather 30. During this operation, the cord 40 is held taut by the tensioning device 56 and fixedly secured to the crirnped or gathered leather 30 by the stitching action of the needle 47. Thus, upon removal of the leather 30 and its attached cord or tape 40, it is seen that the edge portion of the leather will be permanently retained in its gathered or crimped condition by the attached cord.

Further, the above described crimping or gathering. action will serve to draw up the marginal portion of the blank 39 so as to properly form the upper toe portion of the moccasin. If it is desired to vary the amount of crimping or gathering effected by the above described operation, and hence the degree of drawing up of the marginal portion of the blank 30, it is only necessary to increase or decrease the tension under which the cord 4% is held during the stitching process. That is, with the cord 4-5 under greater tension, the retardation of the leather'30 will be increased and thereby effect increased gathering or crimping action. Conversely, when the cord tension is decreased, the gathering action and the degree of marginal drawing up will be decreased.

The desired amount of drawing up is determined by the size of the plug 22 so that the edges 33, 34, and 35 of the latter will just fit within the drawn up edges 36 and37 of the blank 3%. The plug may then be stitched into place by an overlapping sewing machine or'other suitable means, preferably to simulate hand stitching, after which the collar 23 is attached, and the back of the shoe is closed.

It will be understood that the novel features of the present invention may be employed in connection with genuine moccasins with or without hard soles, such construction being omitted from the drawings for purposes of clarity.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the present invention fully accomplishes its intended objects, and provides a construction and method of manufacture which are well adapted to meet practical conditions of use.

7 Although the present invention has been described in some 'detail'by'way 'of' illustration and'example-forpurposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l..,The,method. of manufacturing genuine moccasin footwean-having a vamp and a plug, which method comprises: positioning the edge portion of one face of the forepart of said vamp inxfrictional engagement with a:ro

tating saw-toothedfeedroll located adjacent one side of the. needle of a sewing machine, arranging acord along and in'frictional engagement with the edge portion of the opposite face ofssaidforepart ofrsaid vamp for movement therewith, under said needle, constantly tensioning said cord so that the frictional engagement between said cord and vamp edge portion retards the cord-engaged face to a speed below that. of thes'aid opposite face thereby producing substantially uniform gathers along said vamp edge portion, andstitching said cord to and along said gathered vamp'edge portion to retain the latter in gathered condition, and then securing the edge of said plug to the gathered and stitched edge of saidvamp.

2. In the method of manufacturing genuine moccasin footwear having a vamp and a plug, those stepswhich comprise: positioning the edge portion of one face of the forepart of said vamp in'frictionalengagement with the rotating saw-toothed feed roll of a sewing machine, arranging a-cord for feeding between theedge portion of the opposite faceof'said forepart of said vamp and the presserfoot of said sewing machine to be held by the latter in frictional engagement with said vamp edge portion for movement therewith, restraining the feed of said cord so that the frictional engagement between said cord and vamp edge portion retards the cord-engaged face to a vspeed below that of the said opposite face thereby serving to produce substantially uniform gathers along said vamp edge portion, and stitching said cord along said gathered vampedge portion to permanently retain the latter in gathered condition.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Baker Nov. 15,: 1881 

